As Forest Whitaker prepares to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Newport Beach Film Festival on June 16, the prolific Academy Award- and Emmy-winning actor with a career spanning four decades says he finds himself increasingly reconnecting with the way he approached the work when he was just starting out.
There’s a “joy when I’m working on a part in the discovery of looking at it and trying to figure out the people,” he says.
For example, he notes that by focusing more deeply on the needs of his “Godfather of Harlem” character, real-life crime boss Bumpy Johnson, the character itself leads the way to his performance.
“That’s the way I was working before,” he says. “I started to go back to basics sometimes, and it’s making things more exciting for me again.”
Whitaker admits he feels fortunate to have been allowed to play an astonishingly...
There’s a “joy when I’m working on a part in the discovery of looking at it and trying to figure out the people,” he says.
For example, he notes that by focusing more deeply on the needs of his “Godfather of Harlem” character, real-life crime boss Bumpy Johnson, the character itself leads the way to his performance.
“That’s the way I was working before,” he says. “I started to go back to basics sometimes, and it’s making things more exciting for me again.”
Whitaker admits he feels fortunate to have been allowed to play an astonishingly...
- 6/16/2021
- by Scott Huver
- Variety Film + TV
Ben Bonenfant in Strapped
Is there a more tired, done-to-death gay film genre than the hustler movie? We all know why these characters are so common in gay cinema, but even frequent sex scenes and male nudity can make cliched characters and hackneyed dialogue only marginally more interesting.
But guess what? Apparently, there was one terrific gay hustler story just begging to be told.
Strapped tells the story of a nameless hustler who finishes a house-call in an apartment building, but soon finds himself unable to find the building's exit. Wherever he goes, he encounters another gay man who wants something different from him, and is also willing to pay for it.
But each doesn't just want a specific (and different) sex act from him: they want him to fulfill some unstated purpose or desire in their lives, something he can't quite give them: a Russian immigrant wants the return...
Is there a more tired, done-to-death gay film genre than the hustler movie? We all know why these characters are so common in gay cinema, but even frequent sex scenes and male nudity can make cliched characters and hackneyed dialogue only marginally more interesting.
But guess what? Apparently, there was one terrific gay hustler story just begging to be told.
Strapped tells the story of a nameless hustler who finishes a house-call in an apartment building, but soon finds himself unable to find the building's exit. Wherever he goes, he encounters another gay man who wants something different from him, and is also willing to pay for it.
But each doesn't just want a specific (and different) sex act from him: they want him to fulfill some unstated purpose or desire in their lives, something he can't quite give them: a Russian immigrant wants the return...
- 12/22/2010
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
"Gay movies all suck!"
As a critic who regularly reviews movies of gay interest, I hear this a lot. And while it's undoubtedly true that there are gay movies that do suck, I'm not sure they suck at any higher rates than other genres. Do micro-budgeted gay indie movies tend to suck more? Not any more than all micro-budgeted indie movies, I'd argue. Most of us just don't watch that many micro-budgeted movies.
And even if some gay movies do suck, there are indisputably plenty of others that don't. In fact, when I sat down to make this annual list, I was surprised by how quickly I came up with a number of truly outstanding films. And what do you know? They all veered between "micro-budget" and "low-budget," with a smattering of "high-enough-budget-to-at-least-pay-a-caterer" (and there's also one studio movie).
All in all, it wasn't a bad year for gay film...
As a critic who regularly reviews movies of gay interest, I hear this a lot. And while it's undoubtedly true that there are gay movies that do suck, I'm not sure they suck at any higher rates than other genres. Do micro-budgeted gay indie movies tend to suck more? Not any more than all micro-budgeted indie movies, I'd argue. Most of us just don't watch that many micro-budgeted movies.
And even if some gay movies do suck, there are indisputably plenty of others that don't. In fact, when I sat down to make this annual list, I was surprised by how quickly I came up with a number of truly outstanding films. And what do you know? They all veered between "micro-budget" and "low-budget," with a smattering of "high-enough-budget-to-at-least-pay-a-caterer" (and there's also one studio movie).
All in all, it wasn't a bad year for gay film...
- 12/22/2010
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Cronos" (1993)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Released by Criterion Collection
After years of being out of print, Guillermo del Toro's feature debut is getting the Criterion treatment and del Toro has gone all out to make it one of the best discs ever with new interviews, his 1987 short "Geometria," two audio commentaries, a video tour of his home office, and more.
"300 Killers" (2010)
Directed by Matt Jaissle
Released by Midnight Releasing
A police chief (Johnny Andrews) who sees his city falling under the thumb of a ruthless drug dealer and sends out his best detective (Anthony Tomei) to put a stop to it in Matt Jaissle's action film.
"Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright" (2010)
Directed by R. Ellis Frazier
Released by Maya Home Entertainment
Aidan Quinn stars as a billionaire who flees to Tijuana after he's on the run...
"Cronos" (1993)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Released by Criterion Collection
After years of being out of print, Guillermo del Toro's feature debut is getting the Criterion treatment and del Toro has gone all out to make it one of the best discs ever with new interviews, his 1987 short "Geometria," two audio commentaries, a video tour of his home office, and more.
"300 Killers" (2010)
Directed by Matt Jaissle
Released by Midnight Releasing
A police chief (Johnny Andrews) who sees his city falling under the thumb of a ruthless drug dealer and sends out his best detective (Anthony Tomei) to put a stop to it in Matt Jaissle's action film.
"Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright" (2010)
Directed by R. Ellis Frazier
Released by Maya Home Entertainment
Aidan Quinn stars as a billionaire who flees to Tijuana after he's on the run...
- 12/5/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
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